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Twice champion American Johnson successfully defends 400-meter title
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Michael Johnson has known only one color in major international championships - gold. Johnson became the first man to repeat as Olympic 400-meter champion with a wire-to-wire triumph on Monday night in 43.84 seconds, 0.44 seconds ahead of teammate Alvin Harrison. "You know how I feel about making history," Johnson said, "and to be able to do that and end my Olympic career like that is a dream come true." It was the ninth time the United States has gone 1-2 in the event, and third in the last four Olympics. When the race was over, the scene was far less emotional than the one that followed Johnson's world-record triumph in the 200 meters four years ago in the Atlanta Games. That victory, in an incredible 19.32 seconds, made him the first man to win the 200 and 400 in the same Olympics.
Johnson has won four Olympic medals and nine more in the world championships -- all of them gold. "I didn't want my last Olympic race to be a bronze or a silver or anything but gold," he said. "That was the big motivator that I was thinking about all day today was just basically keeping my reputation intact." In his trademark style of running standing virtually straight up, much like Jesse Owens, Johnson never was seriously challenged. "It was tough. Harrison was running well and I didn't draw a very good lane," Johnson said. "Basically, I had to go in there and tell myself just do what I've been doing what I've been doing for the last 10 years, not worry about what's going on behind me and just run the race I knew I could run."
He said he didn't go out as fast as he normally would because he was out in lane six and wouldn't be able to see his toughest competitors as they rounded the turns. "I just held a little bit for the end in case I'd have some trouble," he said. When it was over, Johnson raised his arms in triumph. But there was no throwing the shoes into the crowd, as he has done before. These shoes have droplets of gold in them. He would keep them. After all, they matched all of his medals. Johnson and Harrison each grabbed American flags and paraded with them together around the track. On the medal stand, there was just that big, bright smile that Johnson saves for such occasions. His individual Olympic career is over, but he has one more race to run in Sydney -- the anchor leg of the 1,600 meters on Saturday. He will finish with the same race in which he won his first Olympic gold eight years ago in Barcelona. "The relay has always been fun," he said, "but I think this
race knowing it will be my last Olympic race ever and having some
good guys to run it with, it will be good just to really enjoy the
moment."
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